Is the Old Better?
“Brethren,
I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do,
forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto
those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize
of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 3:13-14
Have you
ever seen a parade of old cars? Many of the owners of those cars
have spent multitudes of hours and dollars to restore them. The
vehicles are cleaned and shined to perfection. If you are older,
you may say, “I remember when I drove one of those!” Some memories
are good, and some are not so good. Remembering former times can
excite us for a little while, but when the parade is over, we are
glad to get into our late-model car to drive home. We would not
want to permanently go back to the old car for anything! In our
current car, if it is hot, we just turn on the air conditioner.
The old car we used to drive had plenty of air, but it was not conditioned.
In winter the air was too cold, in summer it was too warm, and there
was always too much of it! So when it comes to cars, we are happy
to look forward instead of looking back.
Remembering
old times in the Gospel might be similar to seeing old cars. There
were good times back there, and it is wonderful to think about how
God worked. Rehearsing past blessings can increase our faith and
help us know He will answer again in our current situations. It
can also make us hungry to reach out to God so we can touch Him
again. But we cannot live in the past; we must live in the present,
and God is still working.
Our walk
with the Lord is one of constant learning and growing, and in order
for our service to Him to be most effective, we must continually
apply to our lives the new lessons He teaches us. The past was good,
but there are new blessings available to us today if we will claim
them. God's promises are as sure today as they ever were. He is
standing ready to reward those who diligently seek Him, and He has
more for all of us.
There is
a great need today for people to make deep consecrations. God wants
us to bestir ourselves and not be satisfied with memories. There
is work to be done, prayers to be prayed, and faith to be exercised.
We have a big God, and there are no limits to what He can and will
do, if we commit ourselves wholly to Him.
Today we
can look forward to accessing God's promises in our lives.
|
